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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28774464">Finally home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kupa609/pseuds/Kupa609'>Kupa609</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>HLVRAI - Fandom, Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>also SORRY to my beta readers for my fucked up brain not using proper capitalization &lt;3, just a blurb for fun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:28:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,962</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28774464</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kupa609/pseuds/Kupa609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gordon gets to rest in his apartment, until he gets an unexpected visit.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tommy Coolatta/Gordon Freeman, freelatta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Finally home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>TY TO MY BETA READERS AGAIN ILYSM</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gordon opens his apartment door, flicking on his apartments light for the first time in god knows how long. Took him a while to get in, the landlord having to get him a spare key for the time being. </p>
<p>He locks the door behind himself, standing with his hand on the door knob. Something he would do every day feels so unfamiliar to himself, an action he never thought he'd do again, but here he is. Home at last, after Black Mesa, after Xen, after being dragged along by Gman for what could have been days. He's tired. </p>
<p>Gordon steps from his living room to the bathroom down the hall, almost afraid the "ghost" of benrey might pop out of the mirror again. But, he gives himself a glance. </p>
<p>He looks like shit; Cuts riddle his face, a black eye slowly healing, deep bags under his eyes, his everything caked in the blood of scientists and aliens killed. He almost wants to break down there, but he can't. He just feels void at the moment, whether it be from being so tired, or still on adrenaline from everything. But all he wants to do right now is get the suit off. </p>
<p>Thank god he owns a crowbar of his own, or else he would have lost his mind trying to take off the suit. But piece by piece it falls off, the ground almost forming a light puddle from all the gunk within the suit. </p>
<p>Gordon kicks some pieces aside and turns on the shower, lukewarm. He washes the best he can, hair dripping with blood that has clumped. It almost looks like excess dye being washed out of his hair. But he knows it isn't, god does he know it isn't. </p>
<p>Gordon leans against the shower wall, sliding down and curling up against himself. It feels good to actually feel his skin, actually feel something that isn't a bullet wound or toxic sludge. </p>
<p>He sits there for a solid 20 minutes, waiting until the runoff from him is no longer stained red or the water starts going cold. The latter comes first, as he turns off the shower, drying himself off.  He begins to walk to the door, stopping as he passes the mirror. </p>
<p>He already looks better from a shower, but his body looks like shit. He looks polka dot patterned from the bullet wounds and spots where morphine was administered, gashes and scars from different blasts and fights, and his hand. His hand wasn't back, a prosthetic given in its place. He was also left with a scar where it was attached and deep burn from "devil gun mode". He looks like he was chewed into a ball and spat out by black mesa. He shouldn't have survived, but here he was. He slumps into his bedroom, throwing on the easiest thing he can. Cheesy shirt, boxers, and slippers. Perfect. Good, comfy. Now to eat fucking anything and pass out. </p>
<p>Gordon walks into his kitchen, which is just an extension of his living room. He riffles through his freezer, not wanting to bother with what could be in his fridge for now. Some microwave burritos should be good, anything would be good. He grabs two and shoves them into his microwave, getting a glass of water from the sink as they cook. At first he drinks slowly, but quickly chugs the glass down, going in for another. He forgot how truly dehydrated he was, only running on what the soda machines had. It was better than the finest alcohol he's had. </p>
<p>He pants lightly after chugging two glasses down, tensing up lightly as the microwave beeps. He grabs the paper plate, walking to his little couch and taking a seat. He scarfs down the food quickly, not realizing how hungry he was until he had food in his mouth, and god it was so good. He eats it quickly, faster than he's eaten before and does not regret it. He tosses the plate aside, leaning back on the couch. He always had a problem with its texture; it was a cheap couch he bought off of someone for the sake of needing somewhere to sit. So, he always has a comfy throw blanket covering it. He wraps himself in it, his muscles beginning to unclench for the first time in weeks. </p>
<p>He's home. He saw people die, killed people, saw things no normal man should see, killed god, but he's home. He's sitting on his cheap couch in his small apartment in New Mexico, he's finally home. Gordon isn't a man for crying often, but things begin to catch up to him. Last time he broke down like this was out of fear, out of uncertainty that he would live. Back when he and Tommy first found Coomer and his clones. But now it's out of relief, out of pent up stress and emotions finally boiling up. He curls up on himself, shaking as he weeps, almost laughing. It takes a while for him to stop, not really ceasing until he falls asleep. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gordon is awoken to a familiar voice.<br/>
"Ah, hello Gordon!" </p>
<p>Gordon jolts up, almost headbutting Coomer. "Dr. Coomer, what are you doing here?!" Gordon asks,  looking at the old man standing in front of him.<br/>
"Well, Tommy's father brought us here after giving you a minute to clean up!" </p>
<p>"What? Oh," Gordon looks around the room. And to his surprise, there they are; Bubby in the kitchen beginning to burn things, with Tommy and Gman watching.<br/>
"Oh, no no no- you guys said I could go HOME!"<br/>
Gordon yells as he stands, fumbling over. He didn't realize how truly sore he was, his body becoming stiff as he slept.<br/>
"Are you not home right now?" Coomer asks genuinely, as he always does.<br/>
"Well yes, but- but YOU guys shouldn't be here! I- I thought I was finally done!"<br/>
Gman directs his attention to Gordon, who's now freaking the fuck out.<br/>
"Mr... Freeman.....we are, still celebrating Tommy-"<br/>
Gordon cuts him off.<br/>
"Tommy's birthday, sure- yeah. My purgatory, huh? I'm never allowed to just be done, am I? Did I die? Is this what i'm- what im fucking fated to?"<br/>
Gman walks towards Gordon.<br/>
"Now, Mr. Freeman, I feel you should...calm down,"<br/>
"Calm down, calm down? No, no don't get any FUCKING CLOSER." Gordon yells as he slowly backs away, his body aching with his steps. Gordon notices that everyone has stopped, save everyone but him and gman. When Gman does as Gordon almost expected, Gordon is face to face with the end of a revolver, being pointed at point blank by Gman. </p>
<p>"Now, Mr. Freeman, I hope you understand the....direness, of your situation, hm?" </p>
<p>Gordon is frozen, like a deer in headlights. He doesn't process what Gman says, his demands or whatever. His breathing goes heavy as he looks from the gun to Gman. </p>
<p>"No. Mr. Coolatta, Gman, whatever the FUCK you are, I'm done." Gordon walks away to the small hall, the gun continuing to be aimed at him, "If you want to kill me, just fucking shoot, because I'm not going with you." Gordon thinks it's the end of that, that Gman doesn't have the Gaul to shoot at him. But then he's deafened, as a bullet whirs past his head and hits the wall next to him. Gordon moves as fast as he can into the bathroom, as it's the only room with a door lock. </p>
<p>The noise picks up outside again, Gordon presuming that Gman unfroze time. He slumps against the wall of his bathroom, shaking and muttering to himself. He was finally free just a few hours ago, and now it's back to the cycle. Serves him right, huh? It's what he gets for trying to stay alive, trying to stop the team from killing innocent people. He was meant to die there and Gman was just gonna finish the job. </p>
<p>Gordon is pulled out of his thoughts as he hears a soft knock on the door. Gordon doesn't answer, he knows whoever it is is probably gonna just burst in. But he's pleasantly surprised as he hears a soft voice.</p>
<p>"Mr. Freeman, if you don't- if you want me to go I can- I can just go sit with the science team," </p>
<p>Gordon looks up to the locked door, hesitating, but speaking up, "You can come in, Tommy." </p>
<p>Tommy manages to unlock the door (it isn't that hard) and enters, shutting it behind him.<br/>
"Can i sit down?" </p>
<p>"Sure thing, bud." Gordon says, exhaustedness setting back into his voice. Tommy sits down next to Gordon, looking down at the man, "Mr. Freeman, are you ok?" </p>
<p>"No, no I'm not, Tommy." </p>
<p>Tommy thinks for a moment.<br/>
"But- but you gotta clean up! You got to see home! Isn't that what you wanted?"<br/>
He asks, genuine worry in his voice. </p>
<p>"Tommy, I wanted to be home. I- I thought I could be home, I could be done with everything. But your dad--I'm sorry, but--your dad keeps dragging me along with no end in sight." Gordon sighs. "I'm tired, Tommy." </p>
<p>"If- if you're tired, we could just all sleep together! Like we did- like we did back in Black Mes-" </p>
<p>Gordon looks at Tommy, not with malice, but with a desperate fear, "Tommy." </p>
<p>Tommy is almost startled by Gordon's gaze, his look of worry shifting to that of apologetic,<br/>
"I'm- ......I'm, I'm sorry Gordon. I'm just.....I'm afraid, ok? I'm- I'm afraid that if I'm not there, something might happen. What- what if- what if the HECU reforms? What if I'm not there to protect you?? What if...what if I lose you?" Tommy sniffles a bit, "I dont- I don't wanna lose touch with you."</p>
<p>Gordon shifts around where he sits, sighing, "I...I get that, Tommy. But- I need a little bit to myself. I need time to heal, as do the science team, maybe. I don't know, they're fucking weird." Gordon and Tommy both chuckle at that. </p>
<p>"Well, I- if you- if you think you’ll be ok, I’ll- I’ll tell my dad to disperse the party. I- I'll miss you, Mr. Freeman." </p>
<p>Tommy begins to get up, Gordon getting to his feet and grabbing his shoulder, "Hold on- Tommy, I don't wanna lose touch with you either. I love you, man. You’ve- you’ve helped me alot." </p>
<p>Gordon rubs the back of his head. "I don't...have a phone right now, but can I get your number? I promise to get in contact when I do." </p>
<p>Tommy looks at Gordon, smiling fondly, "Uh...sure thing! Let- do- hold on, I think I have some paper."</p>
<p>Tommy riffles through his lab coat, finding a cheap pen and an (albeit stained) crumpled piece of paper. Tommy scribbles his number down quickly, handing it to Gordon, "Well, I- I sup- I guess this is goodbye." </p>
<p>Tommy sighs, looking at Gordon. Gordon looks at the paper, then at Tommy. He brings him down into a hug, Tommy hesitating to hug back, but eventually doing so.<br/>
"Thank you, Tommy." </p>
<p>"No problem!" Tommy says in his normal perky tone.</p>
<p>And with that, Tommy leaves the room. He waits in the bathroom as he hears Tommy and Gman talk. And eventually the noise dies down. Gordon emerges from the room after a good twenty minutes, finding that everything had been returned to normal. There wasn't even a bullet-hole in the wall. The only evidence that none of this was a dream is the dirty paper with Tommy's phone number on it in his hands. He sighs, putting the paper somewhere he'll hopefully remember, and lies back down on the couch. He got to sleep for two hours and expects to sleep for twenty-two more.</p>
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